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Letters 9/18 - 9/26

OSU-Cascades: Why There?

Am I the only one who thinks the location of the new OSU Cascades campus is crazy? Traffic options in the area are limited and already prone to congestion. The environmental concerns may or may not be an issue. (Remember the athletic fields at Summit High School?) To me, it would make sense to situate the campus more centrally for the entire region, allowing easier access for students from all of Central Oregon, as well as room to expand. What is happening with the Juniper Ridge land? I'm not sure how many options have been considered and I don't know who stands to benefit from the sale of this property, but I think all of us may benefit from considering other locations.

To quote comedian Dennis Miller: "That's just my opinion. I could be wrong."

—Bonnie Snyder

Neighborhood Street Traffic Safety

To the editor,

Currently, I am biking every street in Bend. The object of this obsession? To map locations of the familiar black and white "Slow Down" signs (1000 of these given out each year) and the ubiquitous neon-green plastic men holding red flags.

A number of citizens have filed Citizen Service Requests with the city about speeding cars on their neighborhood streets, but only two of these complaints have been addressed in the past 3 years. (One of these only because of the availability of Safe Routes to School funding.)

At the Sept. 18 Bend City Council work session, Police Chief Sale articulated the need to revamp traffic enforcement and engineering methods in Bend, where we have higher fatality rates than comparable cities. (1,000 more crashes annually than similarly populated Sparks, Nevada, for example.)

This is a welcome step in the right direction. But only as far as it goes.

The "hot spots" that Chief Sale is targeting do not include neighborhoods.

The good people of Bend I meet while biking—especially families with toddlers—are worried about the ever present menace on their blocks posed by speeding cars. Arguably, we would see many more children permitted to walk and bike to school (not to mention increased property values and improved quality of life) if only neighborhood traffic conditions were made safer.

Admittedly, funding for safety has been scarce. However, now that the local GDP and revenues are on the rise, neighborhood traffic safety should qualify for a slice of the larger pie.

In the meantime, we, as citizens, should feel free to explore and advocate innovative, low cost, proactive methods to slow down traffic. At the next Slower Safer Bend public meeting (Tuesday, Oct. 1, from 6:30 to 7:30 at the downtown library), business owner Barb Campbell will lead a discussion that will generate ideas for presentation to the Bend City Council the following evening.

Also, on display will be my map of neighborhood hot spots.

—Foster Fell

In reply to "Surfin' USA" (Outside, 9/19)

Greg Bridges has also been shaping surfboards since the 1980s. I've surfed my own boards around the world. My website is eagerbeaversurf.com.

—Greg Bridges

Defunding Obamacare?

I think it would be helpful to retrace our steps to remind ourselves exactly how we got to this point. Though right-wing media outlets likely never mentioned this, most know that the GOP, spearheaded by Eric Cantor and later by Mitch McConnell, decided before President Obama even stepped foot into the White House that they were going to resist him no matter what he brought to the table, always, forever, world without end. "If he was for it," former Ohio Senator George Voinovich explained, "we had to be against it." Brilliant. A monkey can punch the "no" button if that was going to be the extent of their political participation.

Obama saw the impasse; realized what he was dealing with on the right; saw that he had the majority he needed anyway and so moved forward with the plan that, irony of ironies, was essentially a carbon copy of 2012 republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's successfully implemented Massachusetts healthcare reforms, and The Affordable Care Act became the law of the land.

Let's agree to give Obamacare five to 10 years in action to see how it actually works before anyone throws any more damn stones at it. Enough already. Grow up. Then, if we don't like it we can repeal it; but then it will be a decision based on evidence and not hyperbole. Here in Oregon, a non-profit company called Pacific Source has been a role model in making this whole thing work because they've been proactive in working toward compliance with the new law, and it's working out well. Republicans, how about doing something constructive of your own besides always bashing and tearing down what you don't like. There is no need for that kind of behavior at any level. That No Child Left Behind Act wasn't perfect but it was a pretty good program over all I think. Do more stuff like that; but you have got to get the fuck off of this Obamacare kick. It's happening. The world will not end because of it. Stop being so nutty. You're giving me heartburn.

—Ben Dorigan

On that Breakfast & Lunch Guide cover shot...

I'm a 63-year-old reader with so much to say but all I want to know right now is: Where can I find that platter of breakfast that is on the cover of the new Breakfast & Lunch Guide? And I mean now!

Regards,

—Mike Warren

Letter of the Week!

Thanks for asking, Mike Warren! A lot of people were wondering where that scrumptious breakfast plate came from: It was dished up by McKay Cottage. For asking, we award you the letter of the week, which includes a $5 gift certificate to Crow's Feet Commons, which serves up their own delicious food. Come by our office and pick it up.